After breakfast, Takumi Yuuya rolled out his bicycle.
Eriri Sawamura sat on the back seat, holding onto him as they set off.
She wrapped her arms around him tightly.
As they neared the school, Eriri glanced at Takumi.
He didn't slow down; they rode straight into Soubu High.
Students around them stared.
"Affection from Sawamura Eriri +50"
Her small hands clutched Takumi's jacket, her face lit with a sweet smile.
Takumi made no attempt to hide their relationship.
That made her very happy.
At the bike rack, Eriri got off.
"You… you just brought me in like that. There'll be rumors again. If Yukino finds out…"
"Then she finds out," Takumi interrupted.
"But…"
"If I hid our relationship, Eriri, you'd feel uncomfortable. You already know about my relationships with them, so my relationship with you should be known too."
"Affection from Sawamura Eriri +50"
Naturally, news of that morning reached Yukino Yukinoshita, along with an angry emoji.
Takumi chose to read it without replying.
At lunch break, he went to the teacher's office and explained the situation.
After listening, Shizuka Hiratsuka pulled out a form.
"You need at least five people. Take this to the student council."
"Just five signatures?" Takumi asked, glancing at the form.
Hiratsuka nodded.
Takumi returned to class with the form, just as some of the girls were about to leave.
"You're heading to the Service Club?" he asked.
"Yes. I told Yukino," Yui Yuigahama nodded.
"Fill out this form for me," Takumi said, handing the application to Yui.
"Takumi, you're creating a club?" Yui noticed the top line: Club Application Form.
"Shizuka-sensei said five people minimum. You three, plus those two, will be enough," he explained.
"Those two?" Yui blinked.
"Just put your name down," he said.
"Oh."
Yui wrote her name.
Yumiko Miura and Hina Ebina didn't ask questions and signed as well.
Takumi watched them leave, then turned to Saki Kawasaki.
"You'll be the club president."
"What's the club called?"
"Classical Literature Club."
"That's… kind of strange," Saki said, but she still wrote it down.
Once she finished, Takumi carried the form to Kyousuke Kousaka and Manami Tamura.
Kyousuke looked at Takumi with some confusion.
Manami took the form and wrote her name.
"Manami, please take this to the student council office. Tell them the advisor is Shizuka-sensei," Takumi instructed.
"Got it," Manami replied without hesitation.
The advisor was Shizuka-sensei. With her name, the application would definitely pass.
Takumi watched Manami leave.
Just as he was about to speak to Kyousuke, Yukino appeared at the doorway.
He froze.
She walked over.
"Your lunchbox."
All the surrounding students looked over.
Takumi took it.
"Thanks, Yukino."
She didn't say a word, turning to leave.
Takumi watched her retreating figure.
Was it because of this morning? Or did she not want him interrupting their chat?
Once Yukino disappeared, he shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
He turned to Kyousuke.
"Kyousaka, I'd like to talk to you."
At the tennis courts, Takumi and Kyousuke sat down.
"Kyousaka, I have a friend. His sister has adored him since childhood, thinking he's the greatest in the world."
"Then, my friend went through some rough patches and became a bit depressed. His sister thought he had changed, wasn't the same as before, and started to resent him."
"A few days ago, my friend accidentally found a package for his sister… inside were indecent games."
"After looking into it, he found her room full of those games, all the same type."
"He thought his sister was… a little abnormal."
"When he consulted me, I couldn't think of a good solution either."
"I heard you have a sister too, Kyousaka, so I wanted to ask you: if this happened, what should a brother do?"
Kyousuke scratched his head.
The first half of the story sounded familiar—he, too, was disliked by Kirino.
But the second half was unusual.
"I think you shouldn't tell your parents immediately. First, talk properly with your sister," Kyousuke replied.
"What if she doesn't want to talk? Their relationship isn't good right now," Takumi added.
"You could have your friend find a girlfriend," Kyousuke suggested.
"That's a good idea," Takumi nodded.
"Then invite the girlfriend over often."
"And if the sister finds a boyfriend too?"
"Well…"
"I think the best way is to stay hands-off. The more you intervene, the more complicated the relationship becomes," Takumi said with meaning.
Kyousuke nodded in agreement.
After school, Takumi sent a message to Kirino.
He glanced at Manami, who was grabbing her commuter bag and leaving the classroom.
Seeing him leave, Manami approached Kyousuke.
"Kyousaka, can I go to your house today?"
"To my house?"
"My house might be noisy. I want to go later."
"Sure," Kyousuke didn't refuse.
At the bike rack, Takumi checked Manami's message.
Everyone was ready—the plan could begin.
After what happened during lunch break, he was curious about Kyousuke's reaction.
Less than ten minutes by bike, and Takumi arrived at the park.
The two had agreed to meet there.
Kyousaka Kirino sat on a bench, staring off into space.
Takumi bought two drinks from the vending machine and approached her.
Only then did she react, taking the drink.
"Takumi-senpai, you came fast."
"Kyousuke will be heading home soon. This actor should take his position," Takumi said with a smirk.
"What… what do you think he'll do?"
"What reaction do you want?"
"I… I don't know."
"The angrier he is, the happier you should be," Takumi said, watching her.
Kirino hung her head in guilt.
Takumi went over to the bicycle.
"Let's go. First, show me your collection. I'll grab a few games to play later."
"Okay, you can pick a few more," she said, standing.
Takumi patted the back seat.
"Please, sit."
"Then I won't be shy," Kirino said, climbing onto the bicycle's back.
..
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